A smart thermostat

Amazon

If you haven't given a thought to upgrading your old thermostat to smart one, it's a worthwhile investment. Trust me.Of course, you can adjust the temperature of your place using your phone. That's relatively standard in the smart-thermostat world. Honeywell takes things a step further, though, by creating a geofence around your house. That geofence let's the thermostat know whether you're home or away, so it can adjust the temperature accordingly, and conserve energy.Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Thermostat, $108.99, available at Amazon

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A smart lock

Amazon

If you want to keep your home secure from outsiders, but more easily accessible by friends and family, you'll want a smart lock. Like Honeywell's thermostat, August senses when your phone is near, and activates accordingly. Instead of creating a geofence, the lock puts out a Bluetooth signal. When your phone is near and connects, it unlocks. You can also lock or unlock your door from wherever you are through August's app. This lets you let friends or family in without giving them a set of your keys. By using this lock, you'll also have a log of everyone who entered your house, and when.August Smart Lock, $189, available at Amazon

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A smart plug

Amazon

I've used smart plugs for a little while now, and they're the easiest and least expensive way to make old appliances smart. Just plug your appliances into the smart plug, and the smart plug into the outlet. That's it. Elgato's plug connects to your phone via Bluetooth; once connected you can monitor the energy usage from the plug and turn it on and off. That's not as fancy as the tricks you can pull off with true smart appliances, but for smaller products, it's perfect. For me, I can turn on my electric tea kettle from bed and have boiled water waiting for me by the time I'm done brushing my teeth. Elgato Eve Energy, Switch & Power Meter, $49.95, available at Amazon

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Philips Hue bulbs

Amazon

Of all the smart-home accessories I've used, Philips Hue bulbs are by far the ones I use most frequently. Being able to control the lights in a room with your voice is a game-changer, and once you get used to it, there's no going back. These are the multi-color bulbs, too. So in addition to being able to control whether your lights are on or off, you can control whether they're normal or fun-colored through Siri. If you're looking for only one smart-home accessory to start off with, these lights are it. They represent both the potential fun, and utility, of smart-home products.Philips Hue Smart Bulb Starter Kit, $168.51, available at Amazon

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